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Eric took another drink and thought about all the matches he'd made over his time - both in Goodluck, and before, back when he was worshiped and celebrated for his pairings. There were many; some of whom had long since faded from the world, gone save for his memories of them.

"You know the couple who runs the full-service station? Mrs. Hale and her wife? They both came to me, nervous, expressing worry they wouldn't find queer women in Goodluck. I knew of several who had sought my services actually, but when I went over their profiles I had a feeling they'd just... click. Both loved books, both wanted to run a business, both wanted a family one day.

"They told me about their first date when I followed up. Rea and Ashley went to the bookstore and bought each other their favorite books, then went out to get coffee and read together. It was the sweetest thing I'd heard in a very long time. They're still together now, and they bought the gas station a few years back."

A little pang of sweet sadness plucked at something inside Lou. He rarely suffered for company--content with one-night stands and the easy conversation of whoever stopped by the bar that night.

But once upon a time, he'd known a real and proper love...or something like it, at least. The memory was hazy. But the dull hurt of missing it was enough to confirm it had been there.

"Y'know, I'd like to tease ya about it 'cause you're a fun one to tease, but I think that's lovely. Tell me a sweet story, matchmaker. What's the prettiest love you've ever seen?"

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"I'm a matchmaker," Erik said, smiling as he took as drink. "You'd be surprised how many people are out looking for connection, even in a town like Goodluck. Even if the romance doesn't work, my clients often find good friendships at the very least.

"You'd think that dating apps would make jobs like mine obsolete, but some people still like the personal touch."

Lou had never been one to shy away from a bit of flattery. He might not have had a very high opinion of himself, but that didn't stop others from being mistaken--who was he to burst their bubble?

"From what I understand, muscles aren't all that much use in matters of stamina. Come in mighty handy during a brawl, though. Among other activities."

He met Erik's toast with his glass. "New-ish faces, this charming pub, and whatever the hell it is you do." He threw back half his drink and then followed up that thought.

"Actually, what do you do, boyo?"

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"That works for me." Erik took a small drink. He didn't want to run out before Lou had his drink in hand. "And I'm glad to hear about your stamina. It's just this vibe you give off, you know? Maybe it's your muscles."

"To sharing a drink with new-ish faces," he toasted, raising and tipping his glass toward Lou. "And to your pub!"

Being tied to the sun as he was, Lou wasn't overly fond of eclipses. Made his bones feel cold. Back in the day, it might've even dampened his powers, but he could hardly remember how all that worked. Hardly had any powers to dampen.

"Not my first eclipse either. I stand corrected, then." He nodded toward Erik, gesturing a hat-tip when he realized he wasn't wearing his cap. It was enough to earn a smile.

And he traded that smile for a snort of his own at the ego-stroking compliment the boy had snuck in. "Ay, takes a good deal to get me swaying." Years and whatever inexplicable magic ran through him made it nearly impossible to get well and truly wasted anymore. "Tell ya what--as owner and proprietor, I can't allow a customer to pay for a drink. But I'll have one with you all the same."

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It was funny, not like ha-ha funny, but strange - Erik still recalled his life long ago, the rapturous celebrations and the twang of his bow as he blessed his worshippers with love. Flying with the sun kissing his skin, free and adored, the sensations never really faded. Something changed, though. After a time, his worshippers dwindled. With less devotion, his powers faded. And soon, Eros fell into a dormant slumber.

When he awoke, he barely felt the connection to his divinity. He was elsewhere. Gone were the cities he knew at the height of his power; now he resided in a different land, one with Gods of its own, but he felt drawn to it - safe there - all the same. He stood, wearing clothes of leather and burlap, and followed a nearby river to a settlement.

He’d been there ever since. Times changed, and he changed, but his bubbly personality never faded. There was love in this new place, in the new world, and folks were seeking it out once more.

Who better to help than Eros?

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beach tzp hits different

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Taylor Zakhar Perez, The Clooney Foundation for Justice, Albie Awards Gala. Sept. 2023

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"You'd be surprised," Erik replied cheerfully. "I've been around longer than it looks. This isn't my first eclipse." He wasn't sure how to broach the subject of his long history, at least not in public. Using his power was out of the question; he might employ his gifts at work, but that was because he had permission, in a sense. Was Lou like him? How long had they been in Goodluck? Time ran together after a while...

"Is it too early for me to buy you a drink? I know some bartenders like to keep their head clear, but you look like a man who can handle quite a few before the buzz settles in."

"Well now, I don't properly know you, so it ain't a bit of malice meant toward ya," he prefaced, "you just seem a little wet behind the ears is all."

When a person's been around as long as Lou, they develop a certain sense--like recognizes like, and while he didn't know the specifics, it'd long been clear to him that Erik had some godliness to him. Or at least some not-quite-human-ness. In all likelihood, the boy wasn't a boy at all, but youth hovered around him nonetheless.

He was halfway to sorting out how best to imply their shared immortality without accusing him outright when his conversation partner went on a little monologue about booze.

Lou absorbed his question and stood up a little taller. "I figure it's all relative. If you're already a glutton for punishment, whiskey with a bit of bite don't even warrant a grimace. And taking that bite ain't all that tough. A smart man varies his indulgences, like you've done just now. Keeps everything feeling fresh."

He turned his back to Erik to refill a draft for another one of the regulars, then remembered he still had an answer to give--

"SoCo and Coke, when available. Cheap whiskey or beer, otherwise."

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TZP at the 2024 Deadline Contenders Photo Studio

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"What are your assumptions, then?" Erik asked, cocking his head to the side. "I did say that, but I admit, it was kinda hyperbole." Now he was curious; what did Lou actually think of him? What kind of vibe did he give off?

He took the drink and raised his glass to Lou, before drinking. It burned, but Erik enjoyed it. His nose scrunched up just a little but he didn't react otherwise.

"You know, the cocktails I tend to like usually have more types of alcohol in them. It makes them deceptively strong. But I want the alcohol taste right now. The burn is good sometimes. It does take a toughness, doesn't it? To just take that feeling, that burn, by choice. It's admirable. Do you like your liquor straight, or mixed?"

There was an innuendo there. With Erik, there always was, even if he didn't intend to make one.

In truth, Lou didn't keep up with the news all that much. Too stressful. But he hardly needed to with bar patrons around to keep him up-to-date. "Heard about it. I've not seen much strangeness for myself," he rarely ever saw dawn "but if a possum's the weirdest thing you've seen, m'worried my assumptions about you are accurate."

He seemed like a nice enough guy...just maybe a little sheltered. "Whiskey on the rocks," he announced, turning around to pour the order himself. When he was facing Erik again, he sat the glass down and rested his elbows on the bar. "Is that a tough man's drink, then?"

It was his own drink, but Erik here didn't need to know that.

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Taylor Zakhar Perez

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Taylor Zakhar Perez

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"So I saw. It was beautiful, though, even if it made things go kinda wild. Did you see the mayor's warning about the wildlife?"

Erik leaned a little closer over the bar, flashing a smile nearly as bright as the sun itself, as if he didn't want anyone to hear what he had to say.

"I saw a opossum. In my yard. Just kind of staring at the sky, a few hours after the eclipse. It was the weirdest thing I think I've seen here. Like it was contemplating something. Or maybe it looked and went blind."

He settled back down in his seat, apparently done sharing what he felt was a juicy little bit of information. "I'm feeling something strong today. How about a whiskey, on the rocks?"

Day Drinking - Erik and Lou

“Does it still count as day drinking when the sun doesn’t set ‘til around seven?”

Erik sank down on one of the stools lining the bar itself, his brown eyes glittering in the glow of the neon. Dressed in a tight tee shirt and jeans, his casual look was still a little too hip for the usual clientele. That never seemed to bother him though - when Erik visited, he tended to gravitate toward Lou.

@lou-longhand

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Hi! I was wondering if yall do discord? 🤞

We do! We basically treat tumblr like the canon receptacle to keep things organized and archive-able, so that's where standard threads are written back and forth. But discord is totally open to in-character stuff, and any IC interaction that happens on discord that you want to treat as "canon" material, you post it to tumblr.

Most channels are hidden until you apply and are accepted, but our general chat is public so folks can check it out: Goodluck Discord

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Day Drinking - Erik and Lou

“Does it still count as day drinking when the sun doesn’t set ‘til around seven?”

Erik sank down on one of the stools lining the bar itself, his brown eyes glittering in the glow of the neon. Dressed in a tight tee shirt and jeans, his casual look was still a little too hip for the usual clientele. That never seemed to bother him though - when Erik visited, he tended to gravitate toward Lou.

@lou-longhand

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Plot Drop 001

Since the eclipse earlier in the week, residents of Goodluck have observed strange animal behavior and curious weather-related phenomena. But as odd as it's been, none of it interrupted their day-to-day lives. ...Until a tourist on a road trip uploaded a video that she'd captured while passing through Goodluck and the damn thing went viral. All it shows is two short, pale figures, bearded and holding hands as they dart away from the road into the tree-line. But something about their eyes has people unsettled, so now news stations and self-professed cryptozoologists are nosing around town, demanding answers. Most of the fine people of Goodluck are irritated, stuck dealing with absurd inquiries from conspiracy theorists when they've got better things to do. But others want answers as well. What the hell is roaming out in the woods?

(All town plot drops are meant to provide context and be a possible inciting incident. Participation is entirely optional. Your characters don't have to engage in any threads that address it, but it's still going on around them.)

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Taylor Zakhar Perez - Minx 1.01